Book sewing machine



PATENTEDIJULY 16, 1867.

NoI` 66,899.

F. SIMS.

BGOK SEWING MACHINE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 66,696. l PATENTED JULY 1 6, 1667. E. SIMS. 600K SEWING MACHINE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

nyfs.

nitrh tutte stent @ffice d r) Q FERDINAND SIMS., 0F GALVESTON, TEXAS.

Lettere Patent No. 66,899, dated July/A16, 1867 BOOK-SEWING MACHINE.

"tithe dgrhule refemh tu in time stters 332mm mit milking pant uf tuefnxne.

'10 ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, FERDINAND SIMS, oi' Galveston, in the county of Galveston, and State of Texas, have invented a new and improved Book-Sewing Machine; und I do hereby declarethat the-following is n. full, c lenr, and exact description thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to make and usc the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- .Figure 1 represents a. plan or top view of a portion of my improved book-sewing machine.

Figure-2 is a vertical longitudinal section of the same taken on a plane indicated by the line :c z, fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a front elevation ot' the needle-holder D.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the machine.

Figure 5 is a horizontal section of the press'taken on aplane indicated by the line y y, tig. 6.

Figure 6 iS a vertical cross-section of the press or clump taken on a plane indicated by the line z z, fig. 5.

Figure 7 is e front view of a portion of the pedal E. l l

Figure 8 is a. vertical section through one of the cordfholders or keys l, taken through the line xtx, tig. 9.

Figure 9 is atop view of one of the cord-holders or keys l. .I

Figure l0 shows one sheet or section of the paper as it is prepared by me before I apply it to my machine.

Figure 11 shows thasamesection folded together.

Figure 12 is a. face view of the round-hooked needle g1.

Figure 13 is a face view of the flat hooked-,ndfeyedne'edle g,

' Figure 14 is a. vertical cross-section of the same token on the'liney y, tig. 13.

Figure 15 is a, face v iew of the ilat-eyed and pointed needle g.

Figure 1 6'is s fece view of the grooved needle Figure 17 is a horizontal cross-section through two of the grooved needles on an exaggerated scalealso showing the manner in which they are applied to the book.

Figure 18is a side view of the grooved needle Figure 19 is a side view of the bent or curved needle g:

Figure 20 is n side view of' 'the weighted cord p.

Similar letters ef reference indicate like parts.

This invention relates to a machine in which different sections of paper, eheh section containing one or more sheets, are sewed together previous to their being bound. With the aid of' this machine the diie'rent sections of paper are sewed together withlthe greatest ease and dispatch, by one continuous thread, which is passed around needles, cords, qrmetsl plates, forming loops around some of the said needles or cords, so that when all the sections .are 'served together the said needles, Ste., are withdrawn, and cords or parchment bands substituted in their place, when the book will be ready for binding.

The invention consists- A First. lInthe general arrangement und construction of the machine in which the -book is held for the pur# pose of being served/together.

Second. In the manner of preparing the paper with notches and slots, so that the aforementioned needles, plates, or cords may pass through these notches or slots and enable the operator to pass the continuous thread from section to section; leaving space at the ends for trimming the book wit-hout cutting the thread.

Third. In the arrangement and construction of a press which, when 'attached to this machine, facilitates the finishing of the book after the same has been sewed, and by means of which, also, the different sections of paper are held together for the purpose of cutting or sewing the aforesaid notchesor slots into the paper, and'whcreby,L also, the bookfwhen sewed, is held for the purpose of strengthening its back, with a system of stitching over tbeparchment bands, which is done with the-aid of the grooved and the curved needles.

Fourth. In the construction of an adjustable needle-bar in which the aforesaidneedies and plates are held in their respective places,-the said needles being provided with notches which fit against the projecting edge of a. metal plate attuchedto the upper side of the needle-bar, the edge of the plate tting into the notches. Tlie needles are secured to their respective -places firmly, and prevented from being drawn `out, by means of an eccentric-bar extending nearly the wholelength of the needle-bar. The said eccentric presses certain metal platea against the needles, thereby forcing the latter' against the aforesaid projecting edge on the top of 'the needle-bar.l Springs attached tothe plates through which the needles passserve the purpose of holding the llcdlesln place prior to their being secured b y the eccentric, and facilitating the removal of the needles with ev oo Fifth. In'.the adjustable plates attached to the needle-bar. These plates are perforated with Aslots for the needles to pass through, and are'operate'd bythe eccentric, vas heretofore described. The plates' 'areiadjustnble sideways, so4 as to allow different'spaees between the needles on different-'sized books. I l

Sixth. In the arrangement of a. pedulzby moans of which the aforesaid needle-bar and all its appendages are raised and lowered at will.' i

Seventh. In the arrangement of the needle-guide. This consists of o wooden bar secured stationary tothe machine. In this bar four, or tn ore or less,metal plates are arranged, somewhat resembling those-attached to the' needlc-bar, and, like them, laterally adjustable. These plates aire provided'with slotssimila'r-to those in the needle-bar plates, and the needles, passing through these slots',.project abovethe guide-plates about one-eighth of an inch, plus the thickness of thc paper lalready sewed. .By means of these guide-plates the needles are stcadierl and a superior workmanship is secured. Y y

Eighth. In the arrangement of cords, which 'Amay be substituted for the needles at each end of the book; said vertical cords being held at their lower ends in laterally-adjustable keys, from which they may be easily detached by cutting off a knot when the sewing is finished, while at the top each cord is wound around and held tightly by a pin which is (like a violin screw) screwed into a laterally adjustable bloclcslidin'g on aboard which forms part of the main frame of' the machine, and isconsiderably higher than thetablet'on which the paperis sewcrl. v

Ninth. In the construction of the aforesaidslotted keys by which the lower ends .of the cords are held. These keys are also laterally adjustable in the same block or bnr in which the guide-plates slide` Tentlnln lthe construction of the needles which are used in connection with the continuous thread to hold the different sectionsrof paper together.. Said needles may be round 0r flat, with or -without eyes, at their lower` ends, and with sharp or'roundd hooks at their upper ends, as may be desired'.

Eleventh. In the construction and application `o'f` the groovd and the curvedncedles, which are used when l very strong books areyto be made, in whichcase, after the book has been looped to the needles in the ordinary lmanner, twog'roovcll "needles are substituted for two of the reund-hooked needles, and the space, say about thrcc-cighths to tone inch in width,.betwc en them, is filled up with a regular layer of twine, which is applied with the curved needle, whereby a parchment bund laid between the needles will receive a'layerlofthread on both its sides, on the inside being the continuous thread, while on the outside the new Vlayer, applied Vby the curved needle, holds the suidband in place, as will be hereinafter more fully described.

The frame of the machine, which consists of two side-boards,va, and a'supporting orfbo'ttomboard, al, is secured to a table by means of screws or other suitable devices, as shown in iig. 2, the tublea2 being represented by red lines. By the sides avis supported the tablet B which slides forward and backward, and-'is level with thc top of the guide-bar C when in position for sewing. The tablet B may be folded down, shown in figs. 6 and 7, when it will, in 'conjunction with a board, b, screw, 111, and cross-head, 122, form 'a press or clamp for finishing the books und for other purposes. At each side of the tablet, near to its rear-end, is attached a frictionpiu or small roller, c, which, catching under a ange, as, attached to the sides a, prevents thetablet from being misplaced, laterally as well as vertically, while it permits perfect freedom ofmovement backward and forward. At the front end of the sides the flange as is'bcnt back and forms a short groov,in which the pins c rest when the tablet is folded down forv the press, and whereby the said tablet is held when in the latter position, all of which is completely shown in figs. 4 and 5. Thecross-hend b2 is adjusted by means of two ratchetf bars, b, one of which is secured to either end of the cross-head, iig. 5. These ratchet-'borsato passed through holes cut through the tablet B, and are then held irr place by pawls cl. The said pawls (below the tablet) are pivotedto clever, c, which is attached to the under side of the tablet, and swings around 'a piu, c. The lever and pawls are operated by an eccentric cam, ci, and'a spring, c5. When the cam is turned from the lever -the spring will'drive the pawls into the teeth of the ratchets, all of which is shown in'igs. 2, 5, and 6, and by dotted lines in iig. l. j

The needle-bar D, which vslides up and down in grooves ol cut into the sides a of. the machine, is operated by means of apedal arrangement, E. The latter consists of u n oblong wooden frame, (vertically adjustable as to hcight,)which is attached, hy means of, levers?, to the main frame-of-themachine, and reaches downto the floor (or tou board o n the'floor) of the apartment in which the machine is set up. The levers e are pivoted to the veryrear end oi" the machine, and pass through the needle-bar D, so thattho latter is raised or lowered as the levers are raised or lowered by means of the pedal E. The more the latter`is brought to a. vertical position the higher will be the needle-bar. The lower pedai-bar e may be provided with notches at one or more places, 4fitting over cleats attached to the door, and heldin any desired position by friction-springs, which press against the sides of the groove and the cleat, (see iig.I 7.) By this arrangement any lateral-displacement of the pedal is cil'ectually prevented, but it will be very easy'to change its vertical position, and consequently depress 'or raise the needle-bar. The latter isvv in turn prevented from moving forward or backward by means of appropriate guides fitting in the grooves d, whereby only an up-and-down motion of the needlefbars 1s permitted. The needlcdioldcrsf are sheet-zuetztl plates fitting partly around the needle-bar 'D in such a manner that they may be easily adjusted sideways, while only o very small play forward isvpermitted to them, and an up-and-down play is ectually prevented. This upper surface is provided vwith perforations for. the needlesGto pass through. These perforations arc just wide enoughto hold the needles and to prevent' their playing sideways; but they arc longer 'than the needle is thick, so that when the needle-holders are pressed forward by the eccentric d, by

meansof the handle dx by which the latter is operated, the needle will be pressed against the projecting edge of the plate d1 attached firmly to the needle-bar D. The needles are provided with notches, as seen, and when pressed against thenecdle-bar -thcsc notches should just it to the edge of the plate d, thereby preventing an up-and-down movement of the needles on the needle-bar. The needle-holders are provided with handlesf, to facilitate their being moved sideways when needed. A spring, f2, is attached to the rear end of each needleholder, and serves the purpose of keeping the needles in place before they are secured by the eccentric. The needle-guide bar C, Awhich is secured to the 'machine exactly above the needle-bar, is just level with the tablet B,

as seen in iig. 2. Withinl grooves cut into the said guide-bar C, s lide laterally the guide-plates 7L, which are provided with slots corresponding with those in the necdleholdcrs; Whcn'once arranged in proper position,

the guide-plates may be steadied by means of wedges, pins, or oth-cr suitable devices.

Each section of'paper is prepared in a manner similar to the ohesllown in iigs. 10 and 11. Anotch or slit is cut into each end, and further notches in the r'niddle, one notch wherever a band is to be placed at the back of the book. When the paper is folded together the notches in the middle are cut by mcars of broad saws, either circular or straight, or bya chisel with projecting angcs to lcuttho sides. The slots in the ends may be also cut with a saw, but the leaves may there' simply be separated with a common knife. The needles may be round like the needle G in iig. 2., or they may be dat sheet-metal needles like the needleg in figs. 13,'"and 14. They are all provided withhooks at their upper end, as shown. These hooks are rounded oil', but may be pointed in case it should be found desirable not to provide the notches in the paper. The needles will then he pierced through each section of the paper. The needles may or may not be provided with eyes attheir lower ends. A kind without eyes, g1, is shown in iig. 12. The hooks may also be omitted for certain purposes, hercinafter mentioned, in the round needles as well as in ,the dat ones. In that case the round needles'wlll be like the common sewing-needles now in use, while lthe flat pointed ones without hooks, but with eyes, will appear likeg" in fig. 15. Another kind of needle,g3, is shown in figs. 16, 17, and 18. These are provided with a groove cut into their entire length, as seen, and the needle g,' shown in iig. 19, is a common needle with a curved or bent point. It is sometimes found desirable to substitute at one or both ends of the book a cord instead of a needle. In this case the cord z' which is wound around a. pin, k, is attached at its lower end to a slotted-keyplate, Z, shown in gs. 8 and 9. The slot inthis plate is tapering, as shown, so thata. cord of' any thickness whatever may be passed through it. 'A knot is then tied into the lower end of the cordhand the lattervis then pushed towards the narrower end of the slot until it is well clamped between the surrounding edges. The-Keyplate l slides on the guide-block C in a manner similar to the guide-plates It. The piti k is-screwed into a block, m, the latter sliding laterally in a groovecut into a. board, n, supported by the frame A, as shown in iig. 2. An inclined rack or paper-holder, O, is-attachcd to the frame-A in any suitable manner.l -The paper to besewed is placed upon the same, and is taken from it by the operator.

The ma'dus operandi of this machine is as follows: The operator stands or sits in front of the machine at O, in fig. 2. With his hands he can reach to the rack to take down one section of'paper after the other. -With his foot he operates the pedal E. In the first place he takes a number of sections, places them in the press and prepares the paper by cutting the necessary notches and slots into the back. He then removes the cross-'head b and the board b, slides the tablet B up until it comes in conta-ct with the guide-bar C, and adjusts the pedal and needle-bar so that the needles will project about one-eighth of an inch above theguide-bar and tablet. The needles must, of course, be adjusted to the notches in the paper, that is, they must be round where the notches are cut narrow, or flat where the notches are wide. The needles must also be adjusted laterally to correspond exactly with the notches, so that when the operator takjes one section down, opens it, (see fig` 10,) and places it upon the tablet, the upper hookedends of theneedles will pass through thenotches in the paper. The operator then, while the paper is still unfolded, passes a thread, the endof which is fastened to the side of the frame, and which thread is unwound from a spool, in the rear of the needlesa'nd under their hooks. It will be observed that the hooks on the needles point towards the4 rear of the machine. A thread laid across the paper in the rear of thegneedles will consequently be below the hooks, and will, when they are slightly drawn down, be prevented freni leaving its proper place. When the thread is laid ben-cath the hooks the needles are drawn :down to engage the thread, then the paper is folded together, and the next section is taken down from the `rack and placed so that the needles pass through the notches. The thread is then passed around the last needle to the right or left so as to form a loop, and then passed in rear of and under the hooks of the other needles, as described. This procedure is repeated with each section until the required number of'sections are thus bound tdgether. Thus it is seen that the thread passes out atthe end of one section and in at the end of the next. I c'an modify this process by omitting the slots at the end of the book and simply using a common .threaded needle, which instead of taking the thread around through slits at the ends of the sections passes it through the extreme left or right notches, and around the extreme leftor right needle or cord, and thence in through the corresponding notch inthe next section which is laid on. The thread passes under the hooks of the internediate needles, and is disposed of as described in case of the spool being used. This process is used foriirstclass blank-hooks or other books Where the binder objects to the slots at the ends; and all that is gained over the common niode of sewing is the expeditious sewing at the intermediate notches between the extreme right er Ileft notches. With each additional section the operator must raise the needle-bar slightly, so that the needles will project about one-eighth of an inch above the top of the paper. When the needle-bur is raised as high as it can be, and more paper has to be sewed yet, it becomes necessary to raise the needles in the needle-holders, so that the projecting plate J3 will catch into .the next notch of the needle. This is done by releasing the hold of thc`e`ccentriccl'l upon the needle-holders. The paper will hold the needles suiciently while the need1e-bar is brought-down tothe next notch, when the eccentric secures the needles in their new position, and the operation of sewing may be resumed.

eases 4 For the purpose of additionally strengthening the ends of the book, an extra thread, p, may be employed. The same is provided with a/weight, as shown in iig. 20, and is passed around the continuous thread at cach end ofthe book,.before the continuous thread forms aloop around the end needle. After passing the weightaround it is let go, and'drops dow'not the backof the tablet, drawingv tight thc thread attached to it. Thus the loopsof the continuous thread at the ends of the sections, and the sections themselves, are tied together. Wliena number of sections are thus sewed together they may be held down upon the tablet by one or more cords, g, 'which will keep the paper in proper place, and prevent it from rising from the table when the needles-are pushed up. The said cord q is tightened by zi. screw or eccentric, or 'other suitable device. It may also be found desirable tousc the cords t', instead of the needles, at the end notches. In that case the operation is precisely the saine as if they were needles. When the sewing is completed the cords z' are simply cut o`, and, when needles are used, they must be drawn out, and cords vhave to be drawn in through the loops in their stead, to finish the book for the binder. To pnss this cord through the loops and notches after the book has been sewed, it is`simplest to provide the lower end of each needle with an eye, when the cord is threded into cach needle, the latter pulled out, and the c ord substituted for it. Where dat needles are used, parchment or linen bands, instead of cord, must of course bc employed. But'as it may sometimes be found desirable to place the cords through the loops in the bnck of the book with separate needles, the Hat-pointed needleg2 or a common sewingneedle will be found to answer that purpose. When the sections havcall been lo'opedfon to the needles the book istaken out, with the needles, the eccentric di being of course previously turned so as to release the needles, when the book is placed, needles and all, into the press or clamp again. There the cords are passed through the loops in the back with the common sewing-needle or llat plate pointed needle before described. The sewing is then iiuished. For making very strong books, two of the round needles are placed-near to each other in the needleholders, and when sewed and placed in press, the grooved and curved needles are employed; for further strengthening the space between the twd needles. 'lhe grooved needles i73 are placed into the notches, the

l grooves towards the outside,as seen in g. 17. The continuous thread will be outside of the. needles, andthe curved needle g, which is threaded, is 'passed into the groove of one needle, under one thread, and then into the groove of the next needle, making a loop wherever it comes in coutactwith the continuous thread, and laying a'n extra layerof thread outside of any parchment-band which may be placed between theA two needles, which band, as Well as the extra layer of thread, is shown in blue lines iu'lig. 17. The book, when sewed with the slotted end sections, must be trimmed close to the loops in the end, and will be found when sewed in my machine to be easier made and more substantially held together than could be donc in the old style. It .is`

V:ilse obvious'that a great amount of labor and time is saved by my mod` of sewing books.

I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A machine for sewing books, made and operating substantially as her'ein shown and described.

2. I claim the manner of preparing'the sections of paper with notches, slots, and slits at the ends, &c., substantially in the manner and for the purpose herein shown and described, andthe use of sections thus prepared.

3. I claim the combinaton of the cross-head bz, screw bl, and board with the tablet B, for the purpose of forming a press or clamp, operating substantially as herein shown and described.V

4. I claim the needle-bar D, and its combination with the eccentric da, plate aand needle-holders f, all made and operating substantially as herein shown and described.

' 5. I claim the slotted needle-holders j' and'springs f=,constructed and operating substantially as hereinshown and described. v

6. I claim the pedal arrangement E, when combined with the levers e and needlehnr D. substantially in the manner and for-the purpose herein shown and described. I l

7. I claim the slotted guide-plates i, made and operating substantially as herein shown4 and described.

8. I claim the application of the cords z', and'the manner of holding the lseme in place, substantially as and for the purpose herein shown and described.

9. I claim the slotted key-plate l, made and operating substantially as nerein shown and described.

10. I claim .the needles G, g, gl, and lgz, made and employed and'operatiruz substantially in theV manuel-Y liercu shown and described. y

11. I claim the needles g and g',when applied for the purpose herein shown and described.

' F. slits.

Witnesses:

WM. F. McNAiiARA, ALEX. F. Renners. 

